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When you or your loved one is injured in a bicycle accident, you will likely face serious injuries and a long recovery. Too often in metro areas such as Bethesda, MD, bike accidents are caused by the negligence of others—motor vehicle drivers, construction crews, or even the people responsible for maintaining safe traffic signals and signs. While some bicycle accidents may be minor, many are serious or even catastrophic.
Regan Zambri Long’s Bethesda personal injury law firm can take on your case and fight for your rights while you focus on recovering. Our Bethesda bicycle accident lawyers will investigate your case, identify the liable party or parties, and pursue what you are owed. Schedule a free consultation today online or by calling 202-960-4596.
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You or your loved one maybe able to recover compensation for two kinds of damages after a bike crash in Bethesda, MD.
In instances where the liable party was grossly negligent—completely disregarding the safety of others—you may also be awarded punitive damages. These payments serve as further punishment to the liable party and as a deterrent for others. Punitive damages are awarded by the judge or jury at the end of a trial and are not something you will actively seek during a settlement or early trial.
Montgomery County, Maryland, experienced 241 serious or fatal crashes in 2021, with cyclists involved in 12 serious accidents and no fatal accidents, according to the county’s Vision Zero 2022 report. Although the numbers are lower than the average from 2015-2019, when the county first began looking at crash data, serious and fatal accidents remain a serious threat in Bethesda, especially to cyclists.
Recently a cyclist commuting to work was struck and killed by a flatbed truck while she was riding her bike. Though no criminal charges are being brought against the driver, the family is pursuing justice in a civil case against the driver’s negligence.
This tragedy highlights the stark reality that a moment of negligence, especially by a motor vehicle driver, can have devastating and catastrophic consequences.
If you or your loved one has been a victim of a bicycle accident—regardless of the severity or where the accident occurred—you deserve justice. The lawyers at Regan Zambri Long are ready and able to take on your case and fight for your rights.
Across the nation, and especially in big cities and metro areas, bike accidents are all too common. The National Safety Counsel reports that 2020 had 1,260 preventable bike-related deaths and 325,173 preventable nonfatal injuries.
Many of these cycling accidents can be tied to negligence—the legal doctrine that a person has a duty of care to behave in a certain way, that the duty was breached, the breach caused an accident, and that the accident caused the victim injury or other losses.
Some of the most common negligent behaviors by cars and drivers include:
Not all bicycle accidents—fatal or nonfatal—are the result of collisions with motor vehicles. Some accidents are caused by the negligence of non-driving people. This can include:
Regardless of who you think is responsible for your accident, it is in your best interest to consult with a Bethesda personal injury lawyer as soon as you can after a bike accident occurs.
A bike accident can result in minor injuries or serious injuries, sometimes even catastrophic injuries. This is especially true if the accident was caused by a motor vehicle. Medical treatment is always your first priority after a bike crash, because cyclists have little protection during bike crashes, even when wearing a bicycle helmet.
Common injuries include:
Immediately following an accident you should seek medical attention to get a fuller understanding of your injuries and to check for internal or otherwise less visible or obvious injuries. Your medical records will also be crucial to determining the value of your bicycle accident case.
The immediate steps you take after a bike accident can often depend on the circumstances surrounding your crash and where the accident occurred. If your collision was with another cyclist or a pedestrian, you may be able to collect more information than if a car or truck crashed into you.
You should wait for emergency responders to provide medical care on the scene and keep any recommended follow-up appointments.
If you are able, you should collect as much information and evidence as you can. This can include eyewitness statements, pictures, or physical evidence from the crash. After the accident, you should also obtain a copy of the police report and keep documented records of your medical treatment and injuries.
The evidence gathered at the scene can often reveal if a driver violated any traffic laws, while police reports will establish if any citations were given, which may help prove negligence against the liable party.
You have many choices when it comes to personal injury attorneys, but when you choose Regan Zambri Long you put your case in the best hands possible. Our office is staffed by compassionate lawyers with expertise in personal injury law. They have taken on bike accident claims like yours and made recoveries on behalf of injured bicyclists. We are ready and willing to do the same for you.
If you or your loved one has been injured or suffered damages in a bicycle crash that was caused by someone else’s negligence, you are entitled to compensation. Schedule your free consultation today by calling 202-960-4596.
Although you are not required to hire an attorney for a personal injury claim in Bethesda, MD, it is always in your best interest to seek legal services when an accident occurs. An experienced bicycle accident lawyer from Regan Zambri Long will help you maximize your case, prove negligence against the liable party or parties, and do the heavy legal lifting so that you can focus on recovery.
Your lawyer will:
Legal counsel is invaluable after a bicycle accident. Often you will need medical treatment that takes all your attention. Trusting an experienced bicycle accident lawyer to look after your best interests can be a weight off your shoulders.
Different law firms follow different fee structures and plans, but at Regan Zambri Long we believe that you should be able to pursue justice without worrying about a financial fallout.
That’s why our Bethesda bicycle accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. We don’t collect any money until we’ve made a recovery in your favor. In the event we are unable to recover compensation, we waive our legal fees.
As with all cases, the person liable for your accident will depend on the facts of the case. Sometimes there may be multiple liable parties, in which case you can bring suits against them all to claim maximum compensation. Liable parties can include:
After your accident, it is important to gather evidence and witness statements as soon as possible. If you are unable to do it at the scene, you should consult with a Bethesda bike accident lawyer from Regan Zambri Long right away so they can begin investigating your case to prove the negligence of the liable party.
Every state follows a negligence standard, which dictates who is eligible for compensation after a personal injury incident and how much they can claim. Maryland is one of the few states that use contributory negligence.
Contributory negligence is a harsh standard that bars any liable party from claiming compensation. This means that if you are found to have contributed to your accident in any way, you are denied any financial restitution, even if you are only responsible for one percent of the accident.
Hiring an experienced Bethesda bicycle accident lawyer is crucial when dealing with contributory negligence because many liable parties will try to prove that you were negligent so they do not have to make any payments. Your lawyer from Regan Zambri Long will fight to make sure you are not assigned liability for an accident that you didn’t cause.
The value of your bike accident case will only be known after a thorough investigation of the facts surrounding your case. Because the severity of accidents varies greatly for each case, it is hard to place an average value on bicycle accidents. Estimates could range anywhere from $10,000 for a minor accident to $200,000 or more for a catastrophic accident or one that involves a wrongful death.
The best way to understand how much your case is worth is to schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced lawyer at Regan Zambri Long. Our attorneys will review your case and discuss your next steps in claiming the compensation you deserve.
Maryland’s statute of limitations on personal injuries is three years from the date of the accident. This means that, within three years of your bicycle accident, you and your attorney should file a claim against the liable party or parties.
While three years may seem like a long time, it will pass quickly as your legal team investigates the accident and you work toward your fullest recovery. An experienced lawyer will want to make sure the full extent of your injuries is known and that a picture of your recovery and continued medical care is clear so that he or she can help you recover the maximum compensation available.
You can take the first step today by scheduling a free case evaluation with a Regan Zambri Long bike accident attorney.
At Regan Zambri Long, our bicycle accident attorneys are ready to take on your case and fight for justice with everything we have. We offer the personal connection of a small law firm while providing the financial backing of a large firm. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning we don’t collect any legal fees until we’ve made a recovery in your favor.
Our team has taken on cases such as the ongoing lawsuit surrounding the tragic death of a Bethesda cyclist as well as a $3 million settlement for an injured cyclist who was struck by a bus.
With more than 100 years of cumulative experience in various practice areas, the personal injury lawyers at Regan Zambri Long are your best chance for success. Schedule a free consultation today by calling 202-960-4596.
